In 2013 and 2014, following the release of a landmark analysis titled "Facing our Fiscal Challenges: A Report on the Financial Sustainability of Local Government in Eastern Ontario," the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus researched and developed a series of five White Papers to explore further prospects for financial sustainability through to 2020.
These White Papers would also serve to inform the EOWC's partners in the municipal, provincial and federal sectors about the financial sustainability of local governments across rural Eastern Ontario, backed by extensive research.
The White Papers confirm, among other things, that rural ratepayers across the region are increasingly challenged to pay the costs of vital municipal services. Rural Eastern Ontario ratepayers, like local governments, are at a crossroads in terms of financial sustainability. Residents simply can no longer afford to pay the ever-increasing costs of municipal services, particularly when rural areas have increasing amounts of infrastructure to be maintained by a relatively small and widely-dispersed population.
As financial circumstances and budgets continue to be tightened, rural municipal governments will require more active support in stimulating growth and employment and, in turn, the regional tax base. At the same time, provincial and federal partners must continue their efforts to contain the growth in costs for service delivery. The EOWC will continue to advocate on behalf of its 103 member municipalities across rural Eastern Ontario and work diligently to contain costs and generate revenues.
Please contact info@eowc.org to access the below EOWC White Papers.
- Initial Report: Facing our Fiscal Challenges, February 2012
- White Paper 1: Municipal Infrastructure, August 2013
- White Paper 2: Municipal Affordability, August 2013
- White Paper 3: Ratepayer Affordability, December 2013
- White Paper 4: Environmental Services, July 2014
- White Paper 5: Social Housing, July 2014
- Complete White Paper Book, August 2014